On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Adamas 1687-7 (serial no. 477-92)
Not on view
Ovation made this guitar in 1978 specially for Nancy Wilson, who helped pioneer the cutting-edge electric-acoustic, composite-body design in her work with Heart. The instrument features a carbon-fiber-reinforced top with decorative wood inlays around its unusual shoulder sound holes, as well as a bowl-shaped fiberglass back meant to increase resonance and sound projection. Charles Kaman, the founder of Ovation, began his career as a helicopter engineer before building instruments from materials more commonly found in the aerospace industry.
Technical Description:
Flat top with sound holes on upper shoulders; carbon fiber and birch ply top, "Lyrachord" fiberglass bowl back and sides, reinforced black walnut neck and fingerboard; 25 1/4 in. scale; blue top with figured binding and leaf-shaped teak, maple, padauk, walnut, and amaranth inlays around sound holes; set neck with crescent inlays; headstock with floral carving at top; internal piezo transducer pickups with FET preamp, volume and tone controls; walnut bridge, gold-plated Schaller tuners, wooden knobs; dated 11/3/1978 and signed by CW Kaman II on soundhole label
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.